Algeria: 2 more Japanese confirmed dead
2013-01-24 08:53
Tokyo - Two more Japanese citizens have been confirmed to
have died during a hostage crisis last week in Algeria, the Japanese government
confirmed, bringing the total number to nine. One Japanese worker remains
missing.
The victims worked for a Japanese engineering company, JGC
Corporation, at a natural gas plant in the Sahara Desert. Seven other Japanese
workers for the company survived the hostage-taking.
Islamist militants seized the gas field and held scores of
foreigners from a number of countries hostage for four days until Algerian
special forces stormed the plant Saturday. Algeria's prime minister has said
that at least 37 hostages and 29 militants were killed.
"Using violence is not forgivable whatever the
cause," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Wednesday evening
after confirming that officials found the bodies of the two Japanese among a
group of unidentified victims. "We strongly condemn terrorist
activities."
"It is extremely regrettable," Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe told reporters on Thursday.
Japanese news reports said a government airplane carrying
the seven survivors and nine bodies is scheduled to return to Japan as early as
Friday morning.
Mitsunobu Fuchida, the older brother of a victim, arrived at
Haneda airport on Thursday morning to await the return of his brother's body.
"I just want to see him. I want to see him
quickly," he said.
Authorities said they were unable to confirm the status of
one missing Japanese national, as well as four foreign employees of JGC.
At a news conference early on Thursday, JGC spokesperson
Takeshi Endo said recovery efforts for the missing continue.
"Our company will do all it can to ascertain the status
of these five people," Endo said.
- AP
